Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I, Part 58

Author: White, Truman C
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Boston] : Boston History Co.
Number of Pages: 1014


USA > New York > Erie County > Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I > Part 58


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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Brant Center .- This is a pleasant village situated near the center of the town, but the active business of past years has much of it been transferred to Farnham, through the influence of the railroad. John Winters was a former merchant and was succeeded by Abram Dia- mond and he by George W. Koehler. Richard Sherman and Horatio P. Muffitt were still earlier merchants. J. H. McIntyre carried on


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business in a store which was burned. Alson S. Tracy was another former merchant. George Lehley started a wagonmaking business in 1877, and later went into hardware business. John Trapp was an early blacksmith. A hotel was formerly kept by John L. Flint, who was succeeded by Julius Lehley, and he by Sylvester Haberer, who was burned out and on the site a store was built by A. S. Tracy, who was succeeded by Peter Krebs; he converted the building into a hotel, and was succeeded by Horace Swetland. Another hotel was built by Julius Lehley. The Erie Preserving Company has a canning factory near the village, where a large business has been done for many years. A former vinegar factory and fruit dryer, conducted by Darius Odell, was discontinued. Lewis Flint established a cider mill and wine press in 1896, and Abram Diamond has a cider mill. In the village at the pres- ent time are 3 general stores, the canning factory, a hardware store, 2 saw and feed mills, 2 hotels, 2 cider mills, a cheese factory and several shops.


Farnham .- This village is situated in the western part of the town on the Lake Shore Railroad. Leroy Farnham was the first merchant there and was followed by Charles F. Goodman, W. W. Hammond (later county judge of Erie county), and Henry Slender. The second store was built in 1880 by George H. Walker. The first hotel was built in 1869 by Pius Schwert, and later passed to Frederick Paul. The sec- ond hotel was built in 1880 and has had different proprietors. The Erie Preserving Company has a large and very successful canning fac- tory there, which was built in 1876. Henry C. Kuenze has been in the shoemaking business since 1883. The village now has 2 general stores, 1 hardware store, 1 shoe store, 3 hotels, and the canning factory.


The Sprague corn sheller manufactory was of considerable impor- tance, and was established to manufacture a machine under patents of Welcome Sprague, for taking green corn from the cob. Mr. Sprague began the business which afterwards passed to C. Clements and Daniel G. French. The buildings were burned in the spring of 1896 and not rebuilt, the machine being made elsewhere.


There is a prosperous graded school in the village, the building for which was erected in 1892. The school has two departments and two teachers. The old school building is now a dwelling.


Farnham village was incorporated January 11, the first officers being : A. H. Lytle, president; Henry C. Kuenze, Daniel Greaney and George Blend, trustees; John C. McIntyre succeeded Mr. Lytle as president. The boundaries of the village include one square mile.


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During the past few years many Italians settled in this town, prima- rily as laborers for the Erie Preserving Company. Of these a good many have bought small farms and are making fair progress. Their number is constantly increasing. This is the only town in the county where a similar rural condition exists.


A Methodist class was formed at Brant Center about 1841, and not long after aided in completing a house of worship which had been com- menced by the Baptists. The Methodists have no settled pastor. The Baptist society was organized a little earlier and began the church al- luded to in 1838; after its completion it was used alternately for a time by the two congregations, after which the Methodists built their own church.


St. Cross church (Evangelical Lutheran) at Farnham was organized in 1864. In 1870 a number of the members became dissatisfied and withdrew to organize a second congregation. The old one continued and in 1882 built a house of worship. The new organization was called the Second Evangelical Lutheran church and a small edifice was soon erected. Both are still in existence.


The town of Brant was formed from Evans and Collins on the 25th of March, 1839. The first town meeting was held at the house of Ansel Smith April 16, 1839, and the following officers elected :


Jonathan Hascall, jr., supervisor; Moses White, town clerk; Asa Wetherbee and John B. Steadwell, assessors; Patterson Kerr, collector; Reuben Fisk and Francis Pierce, commissioners of schools; Webster Balcom, overseer of the poor; A. D. Winslow and Lewis Varney, inspectors of schools; Patterson Kerr, William Stetson, Stubel Cross and B. Carpenter, constables; Kester Tracy, Salmon Hawley and Har- rison Maybee, justices of the peace.


The supervisors of Brant, with their years of service have been as follows:


Jonathan Hascall, jr., 1839-44; Job Southwick, 1845; Jonathan Hascall, jr., 1846-47; Horace Goodrich, 1848; Jonathan Hascall, jr., 1849-52; Kester Tracey, 1853; Na- thaniel Smith, 1854; Jonathan Hascall, jr., 1855-56; David Gail, 1857; Nathaniel Smith, 1858-59; Thomas Judson, 1860-62; Nathaniel Smith, 1863-65; William W. Hammond, 1866-67; D. H. Odell, 1868-69; William W. Hammond, 1870-73; Horatio P. Muffitt, 1874; William W. Hammond, 1875-77; W. H. Estes, 1878; John Wether- bee, 1879-83; Harrison B. Christy, 1884-85; James H. McIntyre, 1886-87; Benjamin Judson, 1888-89; George Lehley, 1890-97.


TOWN OF CHEEKTOWAGA.


Cheektowaga1 was formed from Amherst on the 20th of March, 1829,


1 This name was suggested by Alexander Hitchcock, the first supervisor, and was intended to


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and on the formation of West Seneca on October 16, 1851, was re- duced to its present limits-about thirty-three square miles, or 18,710 acres. It is bounded on the east by Lancaster, on the south by West Seneca, on the west by the city of Buffalo, and on the north by Am- herst; and embraces all of township 11, range 7, of the Holland Com- pany's survey, except the western two tiers of lots, and also includes an irregular strip averaging one and one-half miles in width taken from the Buffalo Creek Reservation. The principal streams are Scajaquada Creek, flowing westerly through the center of the town; Cayuga Creek, in the southern part; and Ellicott or Eleven-mile Creek, in the north- east corner. The surface is almost perfectly level, broken only by the valleys of these creeks; the soil is largely composed of clay and is fer- tile. The northeastern and southeastern parts of the town are devoted largely to farming or truck gardening, while the central portion is given up to railroads and allied enterprises. The western part is densely populated and in some respects closely identified with the city. The railroads which traverse the town are the West Shore, the New York Central & Hudson River, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the Lehigh Valley, and the Erie.


The first town meeting was held at the house of Elnathan Bennett on April 16, 1829, and the following officers were elected :


Alexander Hitchcock, supervisor; Jesse Vaughan, town clerk; John A. Dole, Israel N. Ely, and Abraham Hausen, justices of the peace; Elnathan Bennett, John A. Dole, and Apollos Hitchcock, assessors; Christopher Beam, Samuel Jenkins, and Amos Robinson, commissioners of highways; John B. Campbell, John A. Dole, and James N. Green, commissioners of schools; Matthew Campbell and John Hitchcock, overseers of the poor; Nelson Warner, collector; Jesse Vaughan, town sealer; El- nathan Bennett, Caleb Coatsworth, G. Beach, John A. Dole, Henry Deckhart, Michael Escherich, Asa Green, Philip Greiner, Samuel Jenkins, Jacob Kraise, Peter Light, Michael Keeble, John Moyer, Amos Richardson, Joseph Rowley, John Sand, Joseph Small, Jacob Kolo, William Schunerman, Samuel Warner, Matthew Van Dusen, and Jesse Vaughan, pathmasters.


The following is a list of the supervisors of Cheektowaga, with their years of service :


Alexander Hitchcock, 1839-41; Darius Kingley, 1842; Alexander Hitchcock, 1843- 44; James Warner, 1845; Manly Brown, 1846; Alexander Hitchcock, 1847; Manly Brown, 1848-49; E. P. Adams, 1850; Manly Brown, 1851; Israel N. Ely, 1852; Mar- vin Seamans, 1853-54; Gardner J. Kip, 1855; Frederick Loosen, 1856-57; Eldridge Farwell, 1858-62; Simeon H. Joslyn, 1863; E. Selden Ely, 1864-73; Joseph Duringer,


represent its Indian appellation, sometimes rendered "Ji-ik-do-wah-gah," which signifies "the place of the crab-apple tree."


65


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


1874; E. Selden Ely, 1875; Pennock Winspear, 1876: Joseph Duringer, 1877-82; Frederick Stephan, 1883-88; John H. Stock, 1889-97.


Settlement was commenced in Cheektowaga in February, 1808, by Apollos Hitchcock, who came from Schenectady, N. Y., and located on lot 72. In 1829 he purchased fifty-nine acres at Cheektowaga Sta- tion, including a saw mill on Cayuga Creek; he built a woolen factory and in 1844 both establishments were burned. The saw mill was re- built and now remains partly dismantled. Among other settlers prior to the war of 1812 were Alexander Hitchcock, Eliphalet Densmore, Jason and Roswell Hatch, Samuel Le Suer, and Major Noble. The first birth of a white child was that of a child of Roswell Hatch in 1810. In the same year Samuel Le Suer built the first mill, which soon passed to Mr. Hitchcock. Jesse Munson opened the first tavern in 1815; in 1816 Elnathan Bennett built and opened another. The first death of a white person was that of Franklin Hitchcock in 1818. A large Ger- man immigration began soon after 1830, and it has continued ever since until now the town is largely occupied by people of German birth or parentage.


In the list of the first officers and supervisors of Cheektowaga will be found the names of many early prominent settlers. Among other citizens were:


Israel Ely, father of Calvin, E. Selden, E. Sterling, Israel N. and Judah Ely, Mat- thew Campbell and son John B., Elisha P. Adams, David C. Bennett, George Booth- roy, Frederick Brennison, Solon Bruce, Jerome M. Campbell, Apollos Duringer and son Joseph, Alois Gerber, Blasius Groell, John Hinchy, James H. Hitchcock, Joseph Long, sr., and son Joseph, Martin Lux and son Peter, Alexander G. Nagel, Philip Pittz, Samuel Rapen, Peter Reisch and son John, Philip Stephan and son Frederick, Joseph Voegele, Joseph Werick and son Henry P., John Willyoung, James Winspear and son Pennock, John Wurst, Grdfrey Zimmerman, John Zurbrick and Philip Zurbrick. The latter built a flouring mill on Cayuga creek in 1874; it was remodeled into a roller mill in 1882, and on his death in 1888 passed to his sons, Albert and Frank Zurbrick.


The proximity of the town to Buffalo, Lancaster and Williamsville, and more recently to Depew, has prevented the growth of any consid- erable village within its limits. For many years the chief occupation of a large number of the inhabitants has been the raising of vegetables and other produce for the Buffalo market. A post-office was estab- lished at an early date with Alexander Hitchcock as postmaster, and in 1868-69 R. H. Haywood made an attempt to build up a village be- tween the Central and Erie railroad tracks; streets and lots were laid out and the erection of an Episcopal church was commenced in 1869,


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but the enterprise found few supporters and soon proved a complete failure. About 1894 the name of the post-office was changed from Cheektowaga to Forks.


Since about 1887 large tracts of land in the east half of the town have been laid out into building lots, many of which are occupied by residences or business places. In 1890 the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad shops were established in Cheektowaga, just east of the city line, and around them has sprung up a village, which was in- corporated under the name of Sloan in the spring of 1896. The first village officers were Edward C. Green, president; William Brennan, Charles Wright and Andrew Killgallon, trustees; Patrick J. Leahy, clerk; George Faber, treasurer. The post-office was established in 1890 with Edward C. Green as postmaster; he was succeeded by L. M. Sadler and he by Alfred W. Ackley. The same year a two-story frame school house was erected, and in 1891 a Congregational church was built, a chapel having been erected several years before. There are but two stores in the village.


In the north part of the town, on the corner of Genesee street and Union road, is the Pilgrimage Chapel of Our Lady Help of Christians (Roman Catholic), which was founded by Joseph Balt, who donated six acres of land for the church and cemetery April 1, 1851. The chapel was built in 1853.


Depew lies partly in this town, and owes its existence to various railroad and other shops established there since 1893. It is sufficiently noticed in the sketch devoted to Lancaster.


Bellevue is a small hamlet of about thirty houses on Cayuga Creek, in the south part of the town. It also contains the power house of the Buffalo, Bellevue and Lancaster Electric Railroad, which was con- structed between these points in 1893; a loop was built through Depew soon afterward. A post-office was established at Bellevue in January, 1894.


Near Bellevue is the plant of the International Radiator Company and also the coal trestles of the Lehigh Valley and the Delaware, Lack- awanna and Western Railroad Companies, the latter being the largest in the world.


TOWN OF CLARENCE.


Clarence lies on the northern boundary of Erie county, with Niagara county on the north, Newstead on the east, Lancaster on the south,


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


and Amherst on the west. The town was formed March 11, 1808, and originally included all of the northern part of what is now Erie county; at present it includes township 12, range 6, of the Holland Company's survey and has an area of 33,637 acres. The surface is generally level, but there is a limestone terrace about fifty feet high, facing the north, extending across the town from east to west a little south of the center. The town is drained by Tonawanda Creek, forming its north boundary, and Ransom's Creek, which flows northwest through the central part. The soil is clayey loam in the north part and sandy and gravelly loam in the south.


The early settlement in Clarence territory by Asa Ransom, at what is known as Clarence Hollow (1799), and incidents connected therewith, have been fully described in earlier chapters of this work; that was the first permanent settlement in Erie county. Aside from the Ransom family there was probably no other arrival in the town until 1801, when Joseph Ellicott opened a land office for the Holland Land Company at Clarence Hollow; from that time during a number of years the locality had several names, but gradually became known as Clarence Hollow. Asa Ransom kept a tavern in his house and Ellicott probably boarded with him. Christopher Sadler purchased land in the town in March, 1801, situated about a mile west of the Hollow, and settled on it in the next spring. In the same year Timothy S. Hopkins and Levi Felton took contracts for land, and the former became a prominent citizen. In June, 1801, Asa Ransom, jr., was born-the first child born in the town.


Settlers of 1802 were Gardner Spooner, John Warren, Frederick Buck, Resolved G. Wheeler, Edward Carney, Elias Ransom, Abraham Shope, sr., and William Updegraff. In 1803 Zerah Ensign, Jacob Shope, George Sherman, Andrew Durnet, Julius Keyes and Lemuel Harding pur- chased land; in 1804 David Bailey, Peter Pratt, Daniel Robinson, Isaac Van Orman, Riley Munger and David Hamlin, jr. Julius Keyes died in that year, which was the first death in the town.


In 1804, or 1805, Asa Ransom built a saw mill on the stream at the Hollow (Ransom's Creek), and in 1805 Thomas Clark, Edmund Thomp- son and David Hamlin, sr., were added to the inhabitants. In 1806 Justus Webster, John Taylor, Jonathan Barrett and probably others settled in the town, and in 1807 William Barrett, Thomas Brown and Asa Harris located there. Harris settled on the road to Buffalo, four miles west of Clarence Hollow, on a rise of land which became known


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as Harris Hill and was a noted rendezvous during the war of 1812. These pioneers found an attractive region for their new homes; the land was very productive, and the forest was broken by small prairies or oak openings, which were ready for the plow and brought the settler excellent returns.


The names of other settlers are Anthony Rhodes, Bishop Lapp, Simeon Fillmore, ยท Rev. Glezen Fillmore, Orange Mansfield, John Eshleman, Samuel Beman, Matthias Van Tine, David Van Tine, Christian Metz, Robert McKillip and others. Other residents of the town in later years were John C. Root, who came with his father Jacob in 1810; Rev. John Stickler, 1816; William Leopard, 1815; Daniel Rhodes and Rev. Peter Rhodes, 1825-6; G. G. Hunt, 1825; Jonas Hershey, an early settler; George Gallup, born in town 1820, father came in that year; Francis Carr, settled 1810, son James born 1817; Almon Eldred, 1821, son H. B. Eldred, born 1823; Jacob Eshleman, 1826; Peter Lenman, born in town 1828; Philip Schrader, settled 1833; William Henry Lusk, 1835; David Martin, 1832; George K. Van Tine, born in town 1831; C. G. Van Tine, born in town 1846; Jacob Wagner came 1848; Alexander Burns, 1844; Paul Waller, 1849; George Winborn, 1850.


When immigrants of German nationality began to arrive in Erie county many sought this town for settlement and there is a large Ger- man element in the population at the present time. All of the territory of Clarence was taken up, settled and improved comparatively early, and the town is one of the most prosperous in the county. Grain raising and general farming are still pursued to some extent, but in late years dairying has been the principal industry; there are two creameries in the town.


The first town meeting in Clarence was held in April, 1808, at Elias Ransom's tavern, which was in what is now Amherst.


There Jonas Williams was elected supervisor; Samuel Hill, jr., town clerk; Tim- othy S. Hopkins, Aaron Beard and Levi Fenton, assessors; Otis R. Hopkins, col- lector; Otis R. Hopkins, Francis B. Drake and Henry B. Annabill, constables; Samuel Hill, jr., Asa Harris and Asa Chapman, commissioners of highways; James Cronk, poormaster.


Many of these resided outside of the bounds of the town.


The following is a list of the supervisors of the town of Clarence since its organization, although some of those selected previous to 1833 resided outside its present limits :


John Williams, 1808; Samuel Hill, jr., 1809-11; James Cronk, 1812-13; Simeon Fillmore, 1814; Otis R. Hopkins, 1815-22; Simeon Fillmore, 1823-25; Otis R. Hop- kins, 1826-28; Benjamin O. Bivins, 1829; John Brown, 1830-32; Benjamin O. Biv- ins, 1833-35; Levi H. Goodrich, 1836; Amos Wright, 1837; Thomas Durboraw, 1838- 41; Archibald Thompson, 1842; Orsamus Warren, 1843; Archibald Thompson, 1844; Orsamus Warren, 1845; Thomas Durboraw, 1846; Archibald Thompson, 1847; Or- samus Warren, 1848-49; Thomas Durboraw, 1850; James D. Warren, 1851-54;


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


Thomas Durboraw, 1855; Henry S. Cunningham, 1856-59; David Woodward, 1860- 64; Livingston G. Wiltse, 1865; Jacob Eshleman, 1866-72; Livingston G. Wiltse, 1873; J. O. Magoffin, 1874; John Kraus, 1875-78; Lyman Parker, 1879-80; Living- ston G. Wiltse, 1881-85; Jacob F. Humbert, 1886-90; Theodore Krehbiel, 1891-97.


Clarence Village (or Clarence Hollow) .- This village is situated in the southeast part of the town, and bore the name of Ransomville for several of the early years. The first business in the place was a store kept by Otis K. Ingalls about 1811. A post-office was established with the name Clarence, and Archibald S. Clarke postmaster, sometime be- tween 1808 and 1811; it was in the present town of Newstead and was removed to Clarence Hollow about 1816. The building of Asa Ran- som's grist mill and saw mill was an important event and they were a boon to the pioneers. When they went to decay Abraham Shope bought the property (about 1842) and built the present grist mill; it had several owners and finally passed to J. H. Ebersole, who rebuilt.it in 1895-97.


Dr. Orlando Wakelee was an early and prominent physician in the village. Dr. Jared Parker settled there in 1830 and practiced until 1877. Dr. Henry Lapp (son of the late Bishop Lapp) studied with Dr. Orlando K. Parker, and began practice here in 1864. Dr. Carey W. Howe was a later physician.


The Sadler House was built of stone by William Spoor, probably in 1812, as it had a tavern license in 1813. He and his son kept it many years. James B. Sadler became its owner in 1850; it passed through the later ownership of several different persons to Richard W. Larkin, and is now kept by his son, Burt Larkin. The Bernhard House was built in 1872 by Charles Bicker and was sold to Peter Bern- hard; it is unoccupied. The Hoffman House was built by John Fidin- ger in 1878. Philip Heath kept a hotel in the Felton building for forty years.


Prominent early merchants in the village were O. Warren & Co., who were succeeded by Henry K. Van Tine; J. B. Bailey ; J. F. Hum- bert, who began business in 1877; A. J. Miller, John Fidinger, Peter Burns and others. Charles Jewett and a Mr. Shaffer were cabinet- makers. Charles Sein, shoemaker; Daniel Stickler was in the grist mill at one time; John Guise, a Mr. Wennockle and Mr. Goddard were blacksmiths. In the hardware trade a Mr. Sumeriski was engaged, who was succeeded by John H. Rothenmeyer and Charles G. Parker. The village now has 2 general stores, 1 hardware store, 1 grist mill,


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2 hotels, a basket factory, built by Jacob F. Hoffman, who was suc- ceeded by Jacob G. Schurr and H. Fidinger, and another by Humbert & Kibler; 1 saw mill, 1 creamery, a Union school and 5 churches.


Clarence Center .- This village is centrally situated in the town, where a large tract of land was owned in early years by Robert Mc- Kellip. David Van Tine setted there about 1829, kept the first store, and the place was called for some years Van Tine's Corners. When the post-office was established in 1847 it was given the name Clarence Center. Mr. Van Tine was the first postmaster and was succeeded by Robert Purcell. John Eshleman was postmaster for a time and John C. Root four terms. Andrew Metz took the office in 1861 and after- wards Dr. R. S. Myers and others. William Riegle kept a store where John Eshleman was afterwards located. Andrew Metz began business in 1849 and John Eshleman in 1851. George Winborn was a wagon- maker of past years. The first hotel was kept by Alonzo Crawford, who began in 1853. Several different proprietors kept the Clarence Center House in later years and it is still open. The Farmers' Hotel was first kept by Charles Pickard, and later by Peter V. Mehl. John Schuetler opened the Travelers' Home in 1882, but it was subsequently discontinued. The village has now 2 general stores, 1 drug and gro- cery store, 2 hotels, 1 creamery, 1 feed and cider mill, 1 blacksmith and 2 churches.


Harris Hill (Shimerville P. O.)-This is a hamlet in the south- western part of the town. It acquired local fame through being the resort of many Buffalo citizens in 1813, when driven out of Buffalo by the British. Early in the spring of 1814, when Buffalo began to be rebuilt, the refugees returned thither and Harris Hill relapsed into its former condition. A post office was established there in 1843, with William Criqui postmaster; he also kept a store. His successors were John Clicker, Augustus Fiegel and Henry Scrase. A second store was opened by R. K. Kelly. John Shimer established a lime kiln in 1875, which is now owned by his son; from him the post-office takes its name.


Swormville is a hamlet and post-office on the line between this town and Amherst, and took its name from Adam Sworm, who was post- master and kept a store. His successor in business is Samuel E. Lapp; there is also one grocery there.


Wolcottsburg (locally called West Prussia, from the fact that many Prussians settled in that vicinity) is a settlement in the northern part


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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.


of the town. Two stores are kept there and a hotel. East Clarence is a station on a branch of the New York Central Railroad. There are no business interests there. Sturnerville is a settlement east of Harris Hill, without business interests. Gunville is a station on the West Shore Railroad in the south part of the town, where lime works were formerly carried on. Millersport is a hamlet in the northwest corner of the town and partly in the town of Amherst. A small mercantile business has been conducted there for many years; at the present time there are two stores by George Emerdofer and George Diethorn. A German Lutheran church is situated near the place.


The Methodist church at Clarence Hollow was organized in 1833 and in the following year a stone house of worship was built. This was burned in 1872 and the present edifice built in 1873. The Presbyte- rian church at that village held a meeting in July, 1821, and claimed the gospel lot from the Holland Land Company. An organization was effected April 30, 1822. The first house of worship was not built until 1836, and was rebuilt in 1879; it was sold to the West Shore Railroad Company in July, 1833, but was subsequently repurchased by the society and is still in use. The German Reformed church was organized in 1859 and Rev. Henry Bentz was in charge until 1882. The house of worship was previously built by the Seventh Day Baptists; it was re- built about 1887. The Christian church of Clarence Hollow was organ- ized in early years and built its edifice in 1877. A German Methodist society was organized and built a house of worship about 1879.




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